Tag Archives: irish

Leaving the Leprechauns

It feels like I’ve been in Ireland forever and a day at the same time.

In reality, it’s been nine weeks.

All of the schoolwork, tours, and activities kept me in the moment.

It wil be weird not walking by the old friary every morning on my way to class after picking up my morning coffee from JitterBeans.

I will miss walking by the harbor on my way to classes when I had extra time and taking evening strolls to watch the tides and sunsets.

Although I didn’t go out a lot, I will miss the pub atmospheres. I will miss knowing the bartenders and them knowing me. I will miss the comradery of the entire town.

I will miss the old stone buildings and churches. I will even miss what’s found in them.

I will miss the small shops owned and operated by unique people.

I will miss Dungarvan’s lively art scene as proved by the Storytelling Southeast Festival.

I will miss be able to adventure throughout Europe with my friends.

And, lastly, I will miss having such a lovely place to take pictures and grow as an individual.

Thank you for everything, Dungarvan.

My last night there, I had no wake.

I will return again someday.

Midterm Update

I had an amazing day!

We started with classes in the morning, followed by the tour of a church and graveyard on a hill, with rich history, called St. Mary’s.

Then, my class toured Nemeton TV studio, which makes movies and broadcasts all Irish. We viewed a film they made called Kennedy’s Cadets about the Irish guards JFK loved and who served at his funeral.

After the tour, we stopped for tea and coffee at a local boarding school called St. Agostine’s, where all classes and interactions happen in Irish.

The building was haunting yet lovely in the evening light.

Below, my friend Allison poses with her cup of tea.

As we walked in, students greeted us in Irish (one even nodded with his best American accent and said “Sup?”

While we were drinking, I took my camera to the window to take pictures and was surprised to find that students were curiously looking and smiling.

I cannot stop starring at this photo of three girls:

Here, my classmates pose outside on the lawn.

After tea, the headmaster gave us a tour of the area and we visited a famine cemetery, which was extremely solemn and moving.

Here are my classmates Clair and Chelsea posing at the harbor.

Below them, our bus driver John O’Brien waits for us to finish our history lesson.

Our day ended at the Marine Bar in Dungarvan with professors, guides, and classmates eating Mutton and potato stew. There, the owner played a set of songs and told about time time Brad Pitt visited when he was staying at a nearby castle. This was followed my friends taking over the microphone and the owner accompanying them on guitar.

Cheers!